A link can be modified Project Management Help

A link can be modified to build in some lag. For example, after we post our branch training pretest on the Intranet, employees need a few days to take th

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Project test before we begin nagging them about it, We’ll link the Post Pretest and Follow-up tasks Finish-to- Start, and then add four days of lag to the schedule by double-clicking the link line in the Gantt Chart and setting the lag value in the Task Dependency dialog box:

This is a great time to save your project file. Choose File> Save from-the menu. You are asked whether you want to save the file with or without a baseline, Save the file without a baseline for now-you’ll save the baseline after the project schedule has -been approved

Entering Resource Information

Resources are the people, materials, and equipment assigned to project tasks. Project 2000 lets you assign resources “on the fly” by entering resource names on the Resources tab of the Task Information dialog box or in the sixth column of the Gantt Chart’s task grid. This is both a blessing and a curse because every typo or name version becomes an accidental “new” resource. Andy and Andie, Rich and Richard, James and Jim become different resources, even if they’re the same people. When you enter resources in Project’s Resource sheet and choose them from the drop-down lists in various columns and dialog boxes, you’re less likely to introduce error. Choose View Resource Sheet to open your project’s resource sheet, or double-click in any cell of the resource sheet to open a Resource Information dialog box.

Enter the following for each resource: resource name, type (work or material), materiallabel (for example tons, feet, or cubic yards), initials (displayed in Gantt Charts and reports), maximum units (percentage or value), standard and overtime rates, cost per use, accrual method. base calendar, and an optional resource code you can use later for sorting and grouping. If you don’t know the names of all your resources, enter placeholders (Programmer 1, Trainer .A,Trainer B), and change the names later.

If a resource is available less than 100% of the time. be sure to adjust the maximum units percentage because it affects the project schedule. (With the possible exception of contract and production employees, human resources aren’t available 100% of the time. There are emails to answer! telephone calls to return, and committee meetings to attend that are unrelated to the project.) The Resource Information dialog box has additional fields, including the range of available dates for a resource. Our resource sheet is shown in Figure 4.9.

Add resources in theproject’s ResourceSheet

Assigning Resources to Tasks

Project 2000 offers a variety of ways to assign resources-enough different ways, in fact, to become confusing. Well concentrate on two. methods. Switch back to the Gantt Chart view (View> Gantt Chart), and select a task. You can do this in two ways. The first IS to double-cllcK the task to open Resources tab, and choose resources from the drop-down list

You can also click the Resources button on the Standard toolbar to open the Assign Resources dialog box, shown here:

Shift-click, or hold Ctrl and click to select resources for the task, and then click the Assign button to assign the resources to the task. Each resource is assigned fully to the task. If a resource is assigned at less than 100%, its maximum units in the resource sheet is less than 100%. If you want to have the resource work half-time on the task, change the percentage in the Units Assigned column, When you assign materials, enter the number of units required in the Units Assigned column. Project adds the materials label from the Resource Sheet (see Figure 4.9)

The Assign Resources dialog box remains open so you can move back to the grid, select one or more tasks in the task grid, and assign resources. Work through the task list, assigning resources to all tasks.

Assigned resourcenames appear in thF!Gantt Chart

assign resources to summary ta KS. As you assign resources, the resource names are displayed at the right end of the task bar, as shown in Figure 4.10.

There are two types of costs associated with a project or a project task: variable costs and fixed costs. The variable costs should already be accounted for in the hourly costs, overtime costs, and per-use costs of work resources and materials assigned to tasks. You can add fixed costs to specific tasks.

Until now, we’ve’ worked in the Gantt Chart’s Entry Table, The Cost Table provides useful information about the cost of each project task. In Gantt Chart view, choose View >Table > Cost to display the Cost Table. Drag vertical split bar that runs between the table and the Gantt Chart to display all the columns of the Cost Table, as
shown in Figure 4.11.

The Cost table showsfixed and variablecosts for each task.

Enter the fixed cost associated with a specific task or summary task in the Fixed Cost column. Our project includes a few fixed costs. We’ll add the airline ticket costs to each site to the Deliver Training task for that site. (It doesn’t matter how many hours oftraining occur at the site; it costs a set amount for a roumd-trip ticket.) We’re also purchasing author ware software to create the pretest. The software costs $1,795, so we’ll attach this fixed cost to the pretest. Our fixed and variable costs are shown in Figure 4.11.

Optimizing the Plan

Optimizing the project plan means adjusting resources, costs, and the schedule while maintaining the quality standards specified in the project plan. The relationship between resources, budget, and timeline means that you’re looking an ideal balance between the three that accurately reflects your organization’s priorities for the project.